


Mr. Number One

by hqprotectionsquad



Series: Haikyuu!! One Shots [28]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Confessions, Crushes, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, High School, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25295908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hqprotectionsquad/pseuds/hqprotectionsquad
Summary: Ennoshita’s always the top of the class, much to your dismay. And he’s practically perfect in every other section of his life too! What would you do to get him down a notch?
Relationships: Ennoshita Chikara/Reader
Series: Haikyuu!! One Shots [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702609
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Mr. Number One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I am cross-posting my content from tumblr (hqprotectionsquad) to this AO3 account. I hope you all enjoy! If you liked this one shot, please leave a comment or kudos!
> 
> I previously posted this yesterday, but I'm posting again for the algorithm.

“He’s really going to be number one in the class, _again_ , after this test,” you grumble your complaints to your friends, as you always do. You’re sitting in a triangle formation, with your two friends making the other points of the shape. “How is he so perfect?”

“Well, if he was even more perfect, he’d have a starting position on the volleyball team,” Yuna says, patting your back. It’s the third time you’ve cried over a test result this year. Fortunately, nobody has come to the roof today during lunch to see you sob. “It’s one test, don’t worry. You can get him back next week!”

“Not everyone’s good at sports, so that I get.”

“He’s your rival, yet you defend him in every way; do you notice that, (Y/N)?” Satoko scrunches her eyebrows.

“He’s not a bad person!” You say, wiping the tears from the contours of your eyes. “I just hate him for being so good at everything.” An angry bite of your sandwich prompts your friends to lean away from you.

“I’m sure he’s not good at everything. You could probably find his weakness if you wanted to.” Yuna grins and you know that is her devious smile. All of your worst decisions are a result of this baring of her teeth, but there are also many things that have turned for the better because of her scheming.

Today, her smile wins you over.

* * *

Ennoshita doesn’t realize any of these things. In fact, he keeps his head down while he grinds towards better grades, because better grades will bring him to a better future. There isn’t much space between classes, tutoring, and volleyball, and when he does find free time, it goes to storyboarding a new script he’s written. Nothing’s perfect; in fact, he’s lucky that he’s got his head treading above water at times, gasping for the sweet respite of fresh air.

“Tanaka, how did you get a failing grade…again?” Ennoshita rolls his eyes when he looks over the test paper. “You could’ve fixed this easily, and this one too,” Ennoshita says when pointing out problems that were marked wrong.

“I’m not as good a student as you. All I think about is Kiyoko-san and volleyball.” Tanaka stands in the classroom of stragglers who didn’t want to leave for lunch. He’s fortunate Ennoshita’s homeroom teacher doesn’t mind Tanaka coming in and out of a classroom that isn’t even his. Tanaka puts his balled fists on his hips. He looks to the air above him and grins like nobody’s business, all until his friend smacks him on the head.

“You won’t be able to get into a university if you keep failing,” he warns his teammate. “Even if you’re that good at volleyball,” Ennoshita begrudgingly adds underneath his breath. If only he hadn’t taken time off, maybe he’d be as good as Tanaka. They even share the same position in volleyball, but Tanaka is on the starting lineup, deemed as one of the strongest. Ennoshita stands on the side and acts as a referee or score keeper for practice matches. What good comes out of being on the volleyball court, but not being able to play?

Tanaka doesn’t hear him, but instead switches the topic to someone else. “Hey, I don’t want to get tutored by you anymore. Are there any cute girls in your class that could help me?”

“What?” Ennoshita widens his eyes. “What do you mean you ‘don’t want to get tutored by me anymore?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”

Tanaka grimaces, pulling on the fabric of his school uniform. “You always yell at me like this. I want a nice girl who will cheer me on when I get two points higher on a test. You don’t think a forty is good enough,” he complains. As he drifts off into his own imagination, he dreams of a girl in a short skirt, teaching him algebra. Oh, how that must be the life. Too bad Ennoshita waves away the puff of smoke from Tanaka’s head.

“I don’t know any girls in my class that do tutoring, or any one for that matter who would want to tutor a horny guy like you.”

“Well, what about (Y/N)-chan? She’s your rival, isn’t she?” He sinks back into his chair and props his head on his hands. With his elbows on the desk, Tanaka inches closer and closer to Ennoshita’s face, wiggling his eyebrows. Luckily, she’s not in the classroom. She’s out with her friends for lunch, Ennoshita assumes.

“She’s not.”

“Then why doesn’t she like you?” There’s something on Tanaka’s face that makes Ennoshita’s elbows tighten against his sides.

“She doesn’t not like me.” When Tanaka gives him a look, Ennoshita huffs and shrugs his shoulders. He’s never really thought of you that way, or in any way. You’re just a fellow classmate in his class. He’s never had a group project with you and he’s not one to mingle with some of the girls in the classroom. Maybe you don’t like him, just like Tanaka says. “I don’t know, I don’t know her well.”

“Then could you ask her for me?” There’s something about the smile on Tanaka’s face that makes Ennoshita’s insides curl in disarray.

But Tanaka’s persistence prevails today, and with another exhale, Ennoshita folds. “Okay, fine, I’ll ask her. But tomorrow, okay? I don’t want to bother her today.”

“I don’t think you could even bother a fly, Ennoshita.”

* * *

“Hi, so I have a question to ask you.” Ennoshita tentatively approaches the side of your desk at the end of classes the next day.

“Sure, but make it quick, will you?” You don’t look up at his figure while you put away your items into your shoulder bag. All you want is to curl up on your bed after a long day of school and this cute rival of yours is disturbing the balance of your routine. You blow a stream of air into the strands of hair that block your vision and you look into his eyes. He looks different from this angle, but whatever. He’s still in the way between you and your bed. “Well?”

“My friend, Tanaka, wants you to tutor him.”

You stand to be more level with his gaze and his chest is pretty close to yours, you’ll admit. You take a step back, masking your space-building tactic by pushing your chair into the empty space underneath your desk. “What, number one in the class isn’t good enough for him?” Your words come out harsher than you expected, but you don’t deal out an apology and instead wait for his response.

Even if there was malice on your tongue, Ennoshita doesn’t say anything rude back to you. “I’ve tried,” he admits. “But he’s adamant on choosing you as a tutor and asked me to ask you. I don’t know why he couldn’t ask you himself, because I don’t even talk to you myself, but—”

“What’s he having trouble with?” For what you remember, he’s one of the spikers on the volleyball team and the kid who has trouble keeping his shirt on at times. That definitely raises a concern, but if you can get paid a sum for your services, you could over look that and make sure he has his shirt on for the entire tutoring session.

“Um, basically everything.” Ennoshita doesn’t know why he couldn’t push the words out of his mouth when speaking to you, but he is not grateful for this right now. He licks his dry lips in attempt to draw moisture to them.

“Did you get paid? Because I’m not tutoring someone I know for free.”

“Well, he’s my friend, so no, not really. I’m sure he could arrange something.” Your gaze makes Ennoshita squirm like he’s underneath a hot lamp and microscope, but you don’t realize that. After his statement, you walk away, telling him to ask first before you can agree to anything. It’s not like you to charge, but you might as well start now, right?

Later that night, Ennoshita calls Tanaka to tell him the news. “You have to pay or she won’t tutor you. By the way, she doesn’t seem like the type to get swayed by just any guy; that is if she’s into boys.” Maybe Tanaka was right when he said (Y/N) hated him. Was there something inherently wrong with him, like his hair or his face?

Tanaka groans. “What incentive can I give her without paying her? You don’t make me pay.”

“I don’t make you pay because you’re my friend and you and Nishinoya would yell at me,” Ennoshita interrupts before he can say more. “Look, I don’t know what you could possibly offer for her to tutor you.”

After throwing out some ideas, Tanaka doesn’t know what to say anymore because his head hurts from thinking too much. He’s massaging his temples while Ennoshita’s going on and on about the volleyball team. Looking around his bedroom, Tanaka’s wracking his brain for more thoughts when he stops in his tracks. “Wait, Ennoshita—huh, why didn’t I think of this before? I’m so smart, aren’t I?”

Ennoshita all but yells into the receiver of the phone. Being the wrangler to the second years pays a price that is much above his pay-grade.

“What if (Y/N) needs help in something, so you tutor her, she tutors me, and we’re all happy?”

“That sounds really dumb because I’m sure she’s going to say that I can tutor you and there’s no reason for there to be a middle ground.”

* * *

“That’s not a bad idea actually. I’m struggling with physics, so maybe you could help me with that.” You cross your arms when you lean back on the sill of the window, feeling like the cool protagonist of the story. You’re probably as far as you can be from that, but it’s just wishful thinking. Ennoshita’s sitting in his seat beside you — lucky man, he has a seat by the window — and his jaw lowers when you agree with Tanaka’s thoughts.

“Wait, you’re not going to say anything about it being stupid that Tanaka could be tutored by me and we wouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get him to study more?”

When you laugh, it’s the first time Ennoshita’s seen your smile up close; it’s beautiful. “I mean, you said he wants to be tutored by me, so if I get help on my worst subject and he gets help on his subjects, I think it’s a win-win.” Your admission twists your heart a little because it’s like admitting defeat and confirming Ennoshita is smarter than you. “I’ve got to go, I’ll talk to you another time.” 

You go to slip out of the classroom and you just hear him scramble for the words, “O-oh? Alright, I’ll talk to you later, I guess.” It feels good to have the upper hand this time, and you want to share your victory with Yuna and Satoko right away.

“No way. He asked you to tutor Tanaka? That’s the baldie on the volleyball team, right? I always knew that guy wasn’t good at schooling. He just seems like the type. It’s nice that he’s at least good at volleyball, though.” You have always admired Yuna’s candor, even if it’s not the kindest way of expressing her feelings. Stopping in her track of words, she looks to you with a questioning face. “Wait, you just came from talking to Ennoshita. Does that mean you, like, left right away or something?”

With a laugh, Satoko smirks, saying, “Knowing her, she probably left him in her dust, like she does all the time.” You cover your eyes with a hand to avoid their playful glares. Along with the bottom of your foot, you lean against the hallway wall.

“I may or may not have left right away,” you admit with pursed lips. Holding your hands up in resignation, you try to justify your actions. “Look, I’ve got to keep number one on his toes. I mean, yeah, we aren’t friends, but we could be. He’s going to tutor me in physics in exchange for me tutoring Tanaka in his subjects.”

“You’re surprisingly happy for a person who’s not going to be paid for her services.”

“Yuna, she didn’t even have to try! Lucky girl, huh?” Satoko pokes you in the stomach and your body crunches at the unexpected touch.

“I’ll let you guys know how everything goes. I have to discuss things with Tanaka and Ennoshita. Like I said, it’s just discussion. I’m not friends with either of them—”

Yuna corrects your statement in the middle of your sentence. “Not friends, _yet_.”

During the next day, you sort out all of the logistics for tutoring with Tanaka and Ennoshita. While it’s the first time you’ve introduced yourself to Tanaka, he acts like a friend immediately, which puts you at ease. He tells you joke after joke, but in reality, he’s trying to postpone actually talking about school.

“Okay, so about the tutoring—”

“But what about volleyball? We can talk more about that.”

“But I’m tutoring you. I’m not even asking you to pay, but we need to discuss what you need help with.” You tap your toes on the library floor while you wait for his response. His lackadaisical approach could work for someone else, but on you, never. “Alright, show me your past test scores.”

He gives in eventually, but you have to coax him with the donut that’s in your lunch box. Tanaka’s eyes flit between your expression and the papers between your fingers. At last, you set down the stack on the table and tell him, “It could be worse.” The buzzed boy pumps his arm into the air, opening his mouth to release phrases that might not have been invented yet. “I’m not saying they’re good. You need to do much better if you intend on being on the volleyball team next term.”

Begrudgingly, he pulls at the zippers from his bag and initially tosses the notebooks, but when you glare at him, Tanaka gingerly handles his belongings. You dive right into the eye of the storm, flipping through pages and your former notes to get a grip on the whirlwind of material.

“I’ve got to get to practice now.” Tanaka’s voice is softer than you’ve ever heard it so you need to ask him to repeat what he’s said. Apparently, he doesn’t want to leave when he’s actually understanding his algebra homework. When he packs up everything, there’s a smile on his face. “Thanks, (Y/N).”

“Don’t mention it, just let Ennoshita know that I’m tutoring him tomorrow afternoon. And we’re still on for the day after tomorrow, don’t forget that.” You stand to see him off in a way, but he doesn’t budge like you believed he would. “Didn’t you say you have to get to practice?”

“I just wanted to say that I can see why Ennoshita likes you.” From the sight of your furrowed brows and dropped jaw, Tanaka lets out a big-bellied laugh, not caring for the sight of the students who scowl in his direction for ruining their precious focus. After one last wave, Tanaka takes his exit. Even when you lower into your seat, you’re amazed at what he said and his ability to leave after the damage has been done. Well, wouldn’t he remind you of someone you know?

* * *

“Tanaka tells me you’re a better tutor than me,” Ennoshita grumbles when he finds you outside in the courtyard. The sun beats down on the tops of your heads, but at least the wind takes pity on your bodies. You’ve never seen Ennoshita so grumpy before; you have a change in scenery in all kinds of ways. He plops on the opposite side of the bench, parallel to you, and sets his bag aside to take out his physics textbook and notebook. When he opens the cover of the notebook, you peer at his handwriting; it’s neat and concise, as you expected.

“So,” you sip on the juice box you were nursing before continuing your sentence. “You’re going to help me, right? Because I get some of the concepts, but not all.”

“Sure, but I’m also having trouble with it, so I was hoping we could help each other out?” Ennoshita shrugs.

You tilt your head. “Really? I thought you’d be good at it.”

“Not everyone’s good at everything.”

“But you’re number one in the class.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle.” He breaks open the chapter of the textbook you were working on in class this past week. “I don’t really understand any of that stuff.” Ennoshita points at example problems on the pages. “I think I can do them with help, but otherwise I’m not doing too well.” He rubs the back of his neck and doesn’t look to you, but rather the trees in the distance. He hands over his notebook when you ask for it and you start grinning.

“This is my favorite part of physics! I love all of the math equations, they’re so much fun. I can actually understand that, but not some of the other stuff.” You even begin flailing your hands when you speak about it. If there’s one thing you were proud of, it would be math. You might not be the best at everything, but math comes easier to you than most subjects.

Then you set your hands in your lap, clenching your intertwined fingers. You shake your head at yourself; he’s not a friend like Yuna and Satoko. He’s simply a classmate. He’s your rival. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get excited there.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Even though you wanted to review the parts you didn’t understand, you proceed in reteaching him the base material so he understands every single part and why you’re using this specific equation. It actually clears up where your recollection was fuzzy. Soon enough, you can see the lightbulb going off in his head when he solves a problem on his own. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“You did it,” you reassure with a small grin on your face. It’s hard not to see him in a different light when you’re up close. After working through problems together, you take a break so the both of you can relax.

“Sorry, I was supposed to be tutoring you. It seems that you took the reins. I’ll get us something to drink to make up for it.” When you don’t deny his proposal, Ennoshita slips away to get the two of you drinks from the vending machine, so you’re left with none other than your battling brain. How can you possibly go on if part of you is begging to let your guard down and the other continues to build up your walls? It is emotionally exhausting to keep this facade running and repatching the holes in the walls.

“Is everything alright, (Y/N)?” Ennoshita asks when he returns to the table. He gingerly places the green tea bottle to the side of your work while he snaps open the bottle of Potari Sweat.

“Yes, of course, why wouldn’t it be?” Same old smile on your face, the same one that you show to teachers and acquaintances in the stairwells.

“Then, can I ask you why you don’t like me?” His voice is exceptionally even for a person who is attempting the first strike of the war.

“What do you mean? I like you fine.”

“I don’t think you do, though. You seem a little bit peeved whenever we talk in class, and even right now too. I don’t understand.” Even though his eye shape is downturned, that doesn’t overbear the fact that his eyes are fiery.

You roll your eyes and fold your fingers on top of the table. “If you want my honest opinion, then I think we’re just classmates. We aren’t friends. We haven’t done anything that warrants friendship, don’t you think? I have my friends. You have yours. We don’t overlap.”

“So, what? You think we’re just classmates, rivals?” When he runs a hand along the line that parts his hair, the strands don’t return to their natural spot and you notice it’s the first time you’ve seen him physically disheveled. He’s usually put together, yet in this moment, he’s human. He’s all human. “I can’t believe I like someone who doesn’t even think we’re friends. I’ve been classmate-zoned.” He mutters these sentences underneath his breath when he watches the box of his foot kick pebbles.

“What?” Ennoshita’s head snaps up when you say this and for a while, everything is stuck in time.

Nobody moves.

You just look at him.

“I like you, so tell me why you hate me, (Y/N).” He’s bold for continuing the conversation instead of running away. He knows what it’s like to abandon everything he’s known.

“I don’t hate you.” You pause. “You like me?”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Your body moves before you can think. The tentative steps take you closer to Ennoshita, and again, you find yourself nearly chest-to-chest with him. When you place your hands on his collarbones, you don’t leave time for hesitation.

You gravitate towards him and brush your lips against his for a brief moment. There’s a nagging thought in your head, because what if it turns bad? But what if it turns good? All of the worries absolve when he responds to your kiss.

Pulling away is a task on its own. You scan his face, the delicate features that make all of him. While you do this, he does the same to you.

Now, Ennoshita asks, “You like me?”

“I think I do.”


End file.
